Are people who are going on holiday this year selfish?

[Meltinthemiddle]

Just saw a big row unfold on my FB feed because someone posted they've had their vaccinations and can't wait to go on holiday and they quite a few negative responses calling them selfish 🙈. I just wondered what others thought?

Nicely put @SoUmmYeah. I agree with all that you wrote.

Lets be clear, we should not be having to fight amongst ourselves on any platform trying to decipher with our very limited expertise and knowledge whether it is safe or not at any given moment to travel.

The scientists and government need to be much more assertive. It is either safe or it isn't, make a decision and stop the hedging with a half way house. If it IS safe, then let people holiday and if it isn't and the risks are really quite serious then they need to be brave enough to put the brakes on, and do what other countries have done and quarantine everyone that travels. We are doing the worst of all worlds at the moment, and it is not fair on anyone.

It is not about being selfish, it should not be our decision to make, if indeed the outcome is another 20,000 dead and another lockdown!

The general public should be taking responsibility for all manner of things, risk assessments, meet ups, hugging etc, but not for importing new variants unknowingly that could ruin the lives of millions. That should not be on us as to decide.
We need to be able to rely on the science to make informed decisions of that magnitude, and some leadership to enforce required action if needed.

There was a man on the radio this morning who is going to an amber level country at half term.

He'd booked the holiday before the pandemic last year. Then had to alter it when Covid struck. Then altered it again when travel restrictions hit. This time, because Boris has said 'use common sense' rather than ban travel to the amber countries, his travel company won't change the date again. He can travel (he's just been advised to take personal responsibility by Boris and co.)

He's obeying quarantine - having to take his kids out of school for the ten days after the holiday (as he said the school isn't happy but he's not allowed to send them in so how do you have a week's holiday AND 10 days quarantine without missing school?)

If he cancel's the trip he loses £3000 - if Boris said travel to amber countries was banned rather than 'personal responsibility' he'd get his money back (or could rebook a different date).

As he said, all he can do is be sensible on their trip.

Because Boris won't ban trips a lot of people are being told by travel companies 'go or you lose your money'. One other woman is off to the Belgium grand prix in August (assuming she can travel). Belgium's on the amber list but, again, she's going to lose £800 if she doesn't go.

Yes, these people can lose their money. But without the refund they can't rebook for a better time so they're taking a chance and doing their best with precautions etc.

I have a holiday booked in very late August in Italy. Clearly if borders are shut and travel is banned again, I and the rest of the family will not be going. otherwise, no I do not think I am selfish. I will observe all rules locally and in the UK and will self isolate if required on return alongside mandatory testing. I have some friends and neighbours involved in the tourism business and they are struggling at the moment and desperate to see some semblance of normality return. This is absolutely a personal choice, but I do not think I am selfish.

@Daphnise

If you spread the virus to others, by acquiring it on a holiday, then yes, it's selfish to have taken that holiday.

Other countries have probably weighed up the potential cost of allowing tourists inbound (covid) vs. the benefits of keeping thier tourist industries running...

It would also be pretty selfish to allow businesses collapse in the interests of nil covid.

I don't feel selfish.
I feel fucking great for the first time in months.
And the (wonderful) Portuguese staff at the hotel we are at are delighted to see us as their economy is on its knees.

@Tal45

It's probably jealousy tbh - jealous they haven't had their jabs yet and jealous that they aren't going on holiday. If people follow the rules with testing and quarantining then I don't see the problem. I will be going away again this summer if at all possible and I will test and quarantine properly.

Why on earth do people say 'jealousy'??

It's something I've never understood.

I could go overseas
I could go to NZ as I have dual residency
I can afford to go on holiday
I have had both jabs and am (21 days post vax)

WTAF do I have to be 'jealous' about?

I'm not going anywhere because I don't think people should be moving between countries for holidays and I think people travelling to see family (I could do this too as I have family in NZ) really need to think about how important it is - to see a parent when the other parent has died then go but follow all the rules & be incredibly careful. To go to a 3md cousins wedding with 500 other people then no - don't risk other peoples health for a shin dig.

People going because they 'neeeed' a holiday, risks putting us into yet another bloody lockdown & they'll be the first to whinge about it.

At this point in time, regardless of vaccination or not, it is unnecessary to travel abroad (and indeed to have travellers to the UK too), when there remains transmission and new variants.

I'm stunned tbh that we seem to be incapable of not slowing down out own opening up to prevent the spread of this current variant and ultimately further high rates, nhs usage, and full lockdowns.

How anyone can suggest that holidaying abroad against this backdrop isn't selfish is absolutely beyond me!

Me and DP are vaccinated and have a holiday abroad booked for October.

@midsomermurderess

Thread 30,000 plus on this. Sone say yes, some say no. Each one of us will decide what to do. Christ, when did this site turn into this swamp of dull stupidity?

It started just before penis beaker and ramped up significantly after that

Not saying everyone who came after that is a thick as two short planks, but it certainly brought quite a few that shouldn't be allowed free access to the internet

We're going abroad to see increasingly frail 89yo MiL for the first time since 2019. She's not immortal. We'll be double vaccinated. The children won't be mixing in school. We have a cabin on the ferry and most of the journey in our car. No mixing destinations at passport control. We're self catering. We'll be double vaccinated.
I don't think there's anything selfish there.

@BusyLizzie61

At this point in time, regardless of vaccination or not, it is unnecessary to travel abroad (and indeed to have travellers to the UK too), when there remains transmission and new variants.

I'm stunned tbh that we seem to be incapable of not slowing down out own opening up to prevent the spread of this current variant and ultimately further high rates, nhs usage, and full lockdowns.

How anyone can suggest that holidaying abroad against this backdrop isn't selfish is absolutely beyond me!

Disagree. The current vaccines are effective against all known strains & in the UK and EU, the most vulnerable have been vaccinated.

CV is going to be around for many years to come, so the choice is accept it as a illness you could die of, like Pneumonia or start to open up.

Is it selfish of Boris Johnson to refuse to cancel some of the easings of restrictions because it will affect his popularity? Or is it just plebs that are accused of being selfish?

I'm waiting to see this year was meant to be going to Vegas in August but that won't be happening. I won't travel to an amber country so if France/Spain turn green we will drive down. Not sure if I can face airports at the moment.

No I don't think people are selfish for wanting a holiday. Loads went last year my neighbours went to Greece twice and another set came from the the Canaries in January. We can't stop travelling forever in case of variants.

Yes but with some exceptions:

UK holidays
Visiting relatives abroad
Checking on your holiday home a read

*holiday home abroad

I think it is unwise, I wouldn't fly at the moment.

The traffic light classification is all very well but all passengers are decanted off the planes and at least at LHR, all crammed together in queues that snake back and forth while waiting for passport control.

Some are lucky, hit a quiet time and are through quickly. Others are stuck there got hours. Complete petri dish of infection.

And incase anyone wonder, yes that includes the people arriving who must quarantine in hotels etc.

It’s people’s personal choice, they can do whatever the law lets them, many of us have had a tough year...

And of course it’s selfish.

We have locked up, stopped living fully, stopped educating children properly and tanked the economy for over a year. This was to give time for vaccines to get us out of this mess. Now they have. Even if you catch it you won’t be seriously ill with it once fully vaccinated. So time to start life again imo.
I’m more likely to catchCovid here than in Portugal or Madeira- in fact I did catch it while following the rules and vaccinated. So let me live again please.

Selfish? Not necessarily. Stupid? Yes

@ComtesseDeSpair

“Selfish” has become the insult du jour. Fortunately, I’m well aware that I’m selfish and so being called it doesn’t bother me. Broadly, yes - people going on holiday are thinking primarily of their own well-being / enjoyment / desire to see family rather than whether or not international travel generally might be a good idea this year. And that’s fine. We’re all selfish quite a lot of the time about varying things.

This.

Yeah, it's selfish, I mean it's never a selfless act going on holiday, is it?

And it's absolutely fine. People deserve it imo after the awful year we've all had. Good on them.

It’s interesting how people are abusive to others, calling people thick for the way they vote, selfish for the way they behave, stupid for the things they believe.

Same people can’t fathom why everyone else isn’t tripping over themselves to be super considerate to the rest of the human race.

I think it's unwise.

No. No, no, no. No.